President-elect Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Senate Democrats will “improperly” attempt to delay the cabinet confirmation process and implored Republicans to stand up to the opposition party’s “tricks.”
With Republicans taking control of the Senate by a six-seat majority in January, Democrats will be handicapped in any effort to tank a Trump cabinet nominee unless some Republicans join them. Multiple cabinet picks — including Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard — could face fierce pushback during their confirmation hearings. The first hearings are scheduled to begin next week.
“We just won a Historic Landslide and Mandate from the American People, but Senate Democrats are organizing to improperly stall and delay the confirmation process of many of our Great Nominees,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They will try all sorts of tricks starting very soon. Republicans must not allow them to do that. We have a Country to run, and many big problems to solve, mostly created by Democrats. REPUBLICANS, BE SMART AND TOUGH!!!”
Trump posted his warning on social media just two days after his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, reiterated instructions for Trump’s cabinet nominees to stay off social media, The New York Post reported. Wiles wrote in a memo on Sunday, “While this instruction has been delivered previously, I am reiterating that no member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself.”
“Accordingly, all intended nominees should refrain from any public social media posts without prior approval of the incoming White House counsel,” she added.
Hegseth, Kennedy, and Gabbard have all been scrutinized by the legacy media after their nominations. Criticisms of Hegseth have focused on a sexual assault allegation against him made by an unnamed woman in 2017. Authorities investigated the accusation, and no charges were filed against Hegseth.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who switched to the Republican Party in October, has been slammed by pundits and some Democrats who allege that she is sympathetic toward Russia. Kennedy, meanwhile, has faced backlash for his stance on vaccines.
Trump immediately sparked controversy with his cabinet choices last month. His attorney general pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), withdrew his name from consideration after senators expressed concern over his confirmation due to alleged sexual misconduct. After Gaetz withdrew, Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The president-elect has doubled down on his support for Hegseth and Gabbard amid the legacy media firestorms.
